Burke the guiding force behind Algonquin's diamond brilliance

Thursday

Mar 21, 2013 at 12:01 AMMar 21, 2013 at 9:04 PM

It may surprise some members of the Algonquin baseball team that there was a time before Neil Burke was the Tomahawks’ coach. For the 15- and 16-year old underclassmen, Burke was already a decade into his tenure when they were born, a lifetime ago just a little over half his time in the position. As Burke heads into his 26th season working the Algonquin dugout, he stills uses the lessons from when he was on the other side of the coach-player relationship.

Dan Cagen/Daily News staff

It may surprise some members of the Algonquin baseball team that there was a time before Neil Burke was the Tomahawks’ coach.

For the 15- and 16-year old underclassmen, Burke was already a decade into his tenure when they were born, a lifetime ago just a little over half his time in the position.

As Burke heads into his 26th season working the Algonquin dugout, he stills uses the lessons from when he was on the other side of the coach-player relationship.

"I was more of a hustler, hard worker," Burke said from his office before Wednesday’s practice. "Maybe once in a while I’d get down on myself as a player. I learned to get over that as a player, move on from it."

That ability to stay even-keeled and composed is a mainstay of his coaching. Burke never yells during games, and is renowned around the Algonquin program for having the same steady demeanor, never one to spout off after an error or a strikeout.

The SS Burke keeps on running through hurricanes and calm seas.

"We never get on our kids for physical mistakes," Burke said. "I think it’s important for me to maintain my own composure, and I think that’s important for them to maintain their own composure."

On the field, the belief is a composed player is a better player.

Senior captain Matt Doyle is a starting pitcher for the Tomahawks. Burke’s visits to the mound are often a free trip to the therapist’s couch.

"He won’t lose his temper," Doyle said. "He just lets us do our job and won’t intervene too much. He’s also that voice of reason, which helps us out. His mound visits are usually pretty helpful. He usually has some constructive criticism."

Burke mostly leaves the emotional side of the game to long-time assistant Mike Mocerino, who’s also the Northborough Legion manager. Once in a while in practice, though, Burke will raise his voice.

"Sometimes you sense a team getting a little bit lazy," Burke said, "and that’s when I’ll let them have it."

Burke is quiet away from the diamond too. No matter how many wins the Tomahawks had the year before or how stacked the team is, athletic director Fran Whitten says he gets the same response before every season.

"The only story I would tell is he’s just so modest and humble," Whitten said. "He says the same things every year: ‘We’ll go for 10 wins, we’re going to have OK pitching and try to get some hits.’ We joke about it every year because every year he has a great product."

Burke’s poise paid off big-time last season. Coming off a 7-13 season in 2011 that was their first non-playoff year since 1992, the Tomahawks were 6-7 in mid-May and trailing big in a game against Fitchburg.

They rallied back for a 14-8 win, won three of their last six to sneak into the playoffs as the last seed, then went all the way to the Division 1 state final.

It was the fourth time Burke reached the championship game. He won it in 2006, a memorable upset of a stacked St. John’s Prep team, and nearly went back-to-back in 2007 before falling to Lincoln-Sudbury. Algonquin also reached the final in 1998.

"The games that stick out the most were playing at Fenway Park in the state final game in ’98," Burke said. "That was a really neat experience. Then to win the state championship, and to be there two years in a row, those were just two really unbelievable games that we played. We beat St. John’s Prep 6-5, then we lost to Lincoln-Sudbury 3-2. Two great games, and the game last year where we beat St. John’s (Shrewsbury) 2-1, those are the games that stand out."

Burke was inducted into the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame two years ago. In his 25 years, he has a 345-205 record with 10 league titles and five CMass crowns.

"I think that we kind of have a tradition of being a baseball school, in great part thanks to him," Whitten said. "Plus when you have a program as successful as his, you draw kids to that program. He just finds a way to make his team better. Last year’s team was 10-10 and they ended up in the state final.

"He finds a way to get the most out of his players. He just has a knack for doing the right things in a game."

This season won’t be easy. The Tomahawks lost seven senior starters off last year’s team. Burke says the junior class is talented, but development will be needed.

It’s just another chapter in a soft-spoken career that’s lasted a quarter of a century.

"Certainly," Burke said, "25 years has gone by quick."

Dan Cagen can be reached at 508-626-3848 or dcagen@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanCagen.